Content Warning: Discussion of abuse
Day 09
Night Phase - 07
Fuyuki City - Emiya Residence
“This is me, speaking for myself.” I declare to Reiner, Rider and their butler. “I have lost my Command Seals, ergo I have lost my rights as a master and rights toward the grail.”
“Good grief, I was not expecting you to be so meak.” Reiner sighs.
“I cannot claim the bloody thing, every other option is worse so frankly you are the best candidate to claim the grail. I’m not here to ask for help, I’m offering mine - I have no reason to betray you and every one to support you. I also have no assets to offer as compensation for our old rivalry and frankly taking out old frustrations through violence would be stupid before a big fight. Once this is all done you can kick me in the bollocks and call us even.”
“So essentially you’re asking me to bury the hatchet in order for the promise that you will deliver me the Holy Grail, attaining ultimate knowledge and power without betraying me for your own selfish desires?”
Risa nods with a bow. “Yes.” Then turns to face Yorkie & myself. “Shall we tell them?”
The two of us give a silent nod.
And so Risa tells the other trio about Yggdmillenia, my father, Lancer, and everything that they need to know. With it, it feels as if a burden has been lifted off my chest, at least a little bit. Even so, I expect a call out of denial and disappointment and be faced with a cruel reality-
“You son of a bitch, I’m in.”
“Bitchin’.”
Risa & Reiner extend their hands and shake.
I continue to be pleasantly surprised.
Rider however shrugs and interjects into the conversation once the others have stopped talking.
“Da. Of course, but first we will first establish ground rules in order to ensure the safety and well being of my master.”
Her words are cool and firm rather than harsh but they have an authority to them, one that you feel naturally inclined to listen to as an experienced woman.
“If you do betray my master, his companion or myself, then we will enact penance. If you do not act to your full ability to preserve our lives or through your inaction allow harm to come to us, then we will enact penance. If you are disrespectful at mealtimes, cough without covering your mouth or engage in any form of poor behaviour or decorum-”
“You will enact penance?” Yorkie asks, almost flinching as we are lectured by this firm witch of the wild.
Rider pauses for a moment.
“I will eat you.”
Yorkie gives a vigorous silent nod as if she was a child that has just been lectured by a teacher. Given Baba Yaga’s legend I do believe the threat of her eating us if we have bad manners.
I almost see a beat of sweat trail down Yorkie’s neck with the way the light catches her but it’s more likely that she’s just glowing with all the attention on her.
There’s a tension and it’s a little uncomfortable, but fortunately Yorkie covers her mouth and coughs.
“Ah, now where are my manners, I am being a poor host. My master, could you fetch us some water, da?”
“Of course my friend.” Reiner replies with a nod of his head. “Peas- Mr Nomikata, can you join me?”
...It would be awfully ungentlemanly to say no, if he’s getting drinks for everyone he will need the extra pair of hands. Looking at him, he’s trying to hide it but he looks honestly apologetic. Reiner’s trying.
“Happy to.”
The two of us walk through to the kitchen and I take the opportunity.
“I’m sorry.”
Reiner pauses as he is about to reach for where the Tohsaka’s keep their drinking glasses. His face is blank, almost like a computer system that could not process the latest command.
“When I first saw you, I thought you were an entitled rich brat. My first thoughts were ‘This arsehole clearly never burned himself trying to cook for himself when he was five’ and I believe a considerable amount of my behaviour to you was the fact that I’ve only just began to process that i’ve had an neglectful, if not outright abusive childhood. You were happy and clearly hadn’t gone through the things that I had, and I took it out on you. Like the fake gentleman I am, I’d never apologised until now.”
Reiner reaches down and
“Do you know why I called you a lower class peasant?”
“I’m poor?”
“Because you whined and complained all the time. Peasantry is a state of mind and I couldn’t stand your whinging.”
I pull a face in response, apparently I look bamboozled enough to make Reiner chuckle.
“The Corvella family goes back centuries, we’re almost at ten generations but my father is the reason that we are above the rank of Cause that due to patenting curse magecraft formulae and perfecting our kingly magecraft. My mother is actually a second generation magus of common birth, they married for love. Outside of Corrin, our family keeps as few staff as possible to run our estate because she is uncomfortable with letting other people carry burdens. I watched her cook as a kid but never got the hang of it. I once messed up a croque monsieur and my dear Corrin still hasn’t let me live it down.”
Reiner allows himself to smile looking back on fond memories of his family.
“Father dresses and acts like a hammy comic book villain from the 70’s but he’s a devoted family man first. My mother defeated one of the strongest scandinavian practitioners alive despite the fact she was a 3rd rate magus with 4th rate circuits using only the Gandr curse. What makes them great isn’t just their blood but their determination to transcend logic and defy it with pure motivation. Which is something I have come to realise you possess too.”
He gives a graceful nod, granting the floor to myself. Like a gentleman.
“I first cooked my own meal when I was five. Da-Hiro had been away all day and I ended up burning my arm on the oven taking the pasta out and I dropped the food on the floor. I was in so much pain and I screamed until my lungs went raw, only-”
I choke.
“I realised Hiro wasn’t coming home so I ran my arm under cold water, picked the food up off the floor, ate it and went to bed.
“That’s fucked dude, how long was the pasta on the floor for?”
“Ten second rule.”
“Sounds like it was a solid minute.”
“You think noodles can tell the time of day Reiner?”
And we allow ourselves to laugh over a stupid shared joke. It feels good.
I take a deep breath and feel my chest shudder, “May I continue?”
Reiner pours water from the tap into six glasses one by one and leaves them on the table, before gesturing for me to continue my confession.
“We’ve known each other for close to three years when we first shared a room together. Now, all I can really do is look at the first sixteen years of my life and think… what the buggering hell WAS THAT! I used to convince myself that as magi we must be heroic gentlemen, being calm, graceful and elegant at all times, never showing weakness. I used to try convincing myself that he was stern, mysterious and aloof with the fact that he never smiled, hugged me or even called me by my name. The only feeling left is this insane impression that I was raised by somebody who legitimately hated me.”
I can feel my heart beating in my throat and echoing out through my ears, I feel warm, sweaty, uncomfortable, like something’s in my throat and my clothes are choking me.
“I do not remember the atmosphere ever being anything other than nerve wracking when he was actually home. When he was and I wasn’t studying, I was training. Mother fucker never held back enough. He’d beat me down, and then he’d pick me up so he could beat me down whether it was sword, fireballs or just his own fists. It was ‘training’ but it was vicious shit and why could take down nobles with generations more magical expertise and power than me like yourself. I hated it and I hated him for it, it was supposed to make me stronger but it didn’t. I don’t like blood, or fire, or loud metallic sounds... But it doesn't change the fact I'm good at hurting people, really good if I let myself enjoy it. He’d talk about recycling me and I’d think nothing of it. I hated the idea of a hero, or a powerful magus, or unfazeable gentlemen because he was one. He ruined it for me and I’m still pretending to be one.”
And I let out one last gasp.
“Worst thing is for years I thought this shit was normal.”
I feel a splash of water as Reiner shoves a single glass to my chest.
“Breath deep breaths, in through your nose and out your mouth. Do this five times then rehydrate.”
I do so.
Oddly enough it works, it’s less warm. Breathing is easier.
“Reiner?”
“It almost seemed like you were having a panic attack or something along those lines. Are you ok?”
“I don’t think I ever have been.”
‘Jesus Christ Nomikata, your life is so damn pathetic I ran a Charity 15K to raise awareness for it, I even got a tax break just for being near you out of pity.’ Is what I expect him to say.
He opens his mouth-
“Seigi Nomikata, my friend. YOU decide for yourself what it means to live as a man, to do good as a man. Being a gentleman, a magus, a hero - you define this.”
…
“Did you just admit we’re friends?”
“No.”
“Bros?”
“Shut up”
“Besties?”
“I hate your entire existence.”
“Well you’re my best friend by default. How do you like that? We’re best friends now.”
“I liked you more as a lowerclass manslut who constantly snuck in and out dozens of men and women into our student apartment.”
“It was just the one guy and we had a bad break up, I fight him on sight and it was just one woman two.”
“I could have sworn you brought in three one night with the amount of noise and sounds of the bed breaking on that one night you thought I was out, the noise cancelling headphones you snuck in my room did not do a good enough job.”
“Just one, she was very tall though and had a lot of energy. She paid for replacing the bed”
“I do not want to hear about your past conquest with a needy middle aged giantess.”
“What about you and your butler? He seems like your type, I mean I'm a little surprised you didn’t want a slice of this cake for yourself but he seemed like a good alternative, he dresses up well in a black suit too.”
“Fall in a well, die screaming and alone.”
“I’ve missed this.”
“I missed this too.”
“Da I believe they are getting along well.”
“So,” Yorkie asked. “Is this the part where you drain us of our mana?”
“Net.” Rider shook her head. “I do not have a deficit of mana, despite my weakening as an incarnation into a class container of a ghost liner. I’d be more likely to suck upon the mana of your handsome young man you two share, perhaps a brief feel & taste of his firm flesh and a small sip of his blood if he consented.”
“Just as well, I don’t swing that way.” Yorkie lied as naturally as she breathed. “Your loss.”
Rider tutted.
“Firstly, you are currently missing a limb. Secondly. Do not insult your lady friend with your deceit. I understand if you downplay attraction to the fairer sex but don’t pretend to have none when you clearly do.”
“What?” Yorkie gasps incredulously as if she’s been accused of a murder. “I’m not the one with her tits out on display, besides I haven’t even gotten to know you!”
Rider met her accusation.
“It is not me you have been stealing looks at but your own lady companion.” Rider cooly replied. “You’ve been staring at her splendidly round rear all night.”
Risa burst out in laughter, cradling York Lancaster who looked like she died from embarrassment.
“There there babe.” Risa said, patting Yorkie on the head before turning to Rider. “From what I understand, I’m new territory so to speak, please forgive my girlfriend if she’s on the defensive side.”
“G-Girlfriend!?”
“It’s a bit soon to put words on things but when we spoke I felt as if I got to understand you quite quickly and I like you York.”
“... i’d like that.”
Rider nodded approvingly with a visage of gladness before looking up.
“A plane?”
It seemed to be flying low. Corrin ought to report intercept as he was patrolling the grounds.
- - - Updated - - -
Questmasters note:
Apologies for the delay, buying a house and starting a new job make for slow content writing.